Assertion: Carboxylic acids are more acidic than phenols.
Reason: Phenols are ortho and para directing.

Options

A. Both A and Rare true and R is the correct explanation of A
B. Both A and R are true but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
C. A is true but R is false
D. A is false and R is true

Answer

B

Explanation

Carboxylic acids are more acidic than phenols as the carboxylate ion, the conjugate base of carboxylic acid is stabilized by two equivalent resonance structures. Thus, the negative charge is delocalized effectively. However, in phenols negative charge is less effectively delocalized over oxygen atom and carbon atoms in phenoxide ion